


Real Life Problems

by lilolilyrae



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Moving, Post Hogwarts Eighth Year, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21902926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilolilyrae/pseuds/lilolilyrae
Summary: Hermione moves into her new apartment. She can do this on her own. Really.
Kudos: 10





	Real Life Problems

**Author's Note:**

> 2019-12-22  
> Hermione moves out, getting her belongings to her new flat after her seventh year at Hogwarts instead of to her parents' place...
> 
> I currently have sore muscles from dragging my own stuff from one train to the other quite a few times today and yesterday, so that on miiiiight have inspired that story xD
> 
> 2020-01-06  
> My hand is literally still sore from that day, I probably re-insured an old capsular tear! Yay #not  
> Yes it was too much luggage and a dumb idea  
> In my defense I literally moved from one country to the other and no-one could've come pick me up if I had wanted to... And I didn't want to leave anything behind.
> 
> I had completely forgotten that I still had this wip! I kinda finished it now, I think I had bigger plans for it but I forgot them, so... Eh

This was a bad idea, Hermione decided- perhaps for the tenth time that day- in her mind. She would never admit it out loud, of course, given that it had been her own idea.

It's just a few bags! Just getting them across town! Two backpacks, two suitcases- How hard can it be? There's even the tube and a bus for most of the way! No, you don't have to come pick me up from the station, I'll be fine!

Well, she definitely regretted the decision as soon as she was through the platform barrier, all alone at Kings Cross and with luggage she didn't even have enough hands to hold onto.

No, she hadn't cast a lightening charm on any of it- always law abiding (as long as the law made some modicum of sense) and not wanting to break the statute of secrecy, she hadn't wanted for some muggle to pick something up that was unnaturally light, or just see her drag around things with less effort than required.

Now she seriously wished she had had more faith into her acting skills and at least put a bit of a lightening charm on /some/ of the things.

At first, she had taken her small book-bag backpack and strapped the other, bigger backpack to her bigger suitcase. But even the five minute walk to the underground escalator- and it should have been a one-minute walk if she hadn't stopped to catch her breath at every corner- her right hand ached and she knee there was no way she could keep going like that. Well, she did make it into the tube, and then she re-grouped, taking the big backpack onto her back and strapping the other one onto the small suitcase so each hand would pull about the same amount of weight- no-one could say she wasn't clever! 

Well, the backpack almost fell off the small suitcase as she made it from the tube onto the platform, and she almost forgot her heavy wintercoat, too. Gah. She was turning into Neville. No, worse, Neville hadn't forgotten much at all lately, so if anything she must have switched her mental capacities with him.

As people glared at her for standing in the way, she first put the backpack down onto one of the hard metal seats, then pulled the rest of the luggage towards it.

Great. 

Why did she have to prove that she was all independent and that she could bloody do this alone, again? 

Because she felt like she had to. Because, no matter how much she had achieved in her life, it had always been together with someone else, because of someone else, in the shadows of someone else. So, she had wanted to do one little thing just by herself-

And now she was all too happy that she wasn't _actually_ in the spotlight for it, because she was fairly certain she was sweaty and gross and making a face, and she barely even noticed because the stuff was just so! Heavy!

It was the first- maybe the second- time in her life where she just wasn't sure whether she was _physically_ able to do a task she had started or needed to so. Usually, she could think her way out of things, use magic, ask for help, reevaluate. It was never just her and her body, her muscles, brute force. 

Ten more minutes.

Well, ten minutes if she actually moved instead of having to take a breather at every corner.

But she can do this.

She has to.

Her fingers ache.

Why can't the suitcase handles be something, anything other than hard plastic?

Her shoulders are burning.

Putting the backpack down only to pick it up again is almost worse than just continuing to walk.

Almost because she literally isn't sure she wouldn't just collapse if she walked without taking a break.

It's been ten minutes. She only made it down two streets.

Breathe.

Pick up the bags again.

Now you almost made it.

"Hey, miss, need some help?"

She'd almost decline. But the other woman looks sporty and like she actually sincerely wants to help- and maybe she looks at her with something like pity, too.

And if she does turn out to be a thief, she'd finally have a real reason to use magic to find her things again.

"If you- if you could take the suitcase? Just down the street-"

"hey, don't worry, I dun' need to be anywhere until late today."

It makes it a little easier. One hand free, able to switch the smaller suitcase from side to side, able to hold onto the straps of the backpack with the free hand, taking some weight off her shoulders.

She's already sure they'll be black and blue by the time she makes it home home.

Five more minutes.

Maybe actually, now.

The woman chatters about some bar she'll meet her friends at later today. Hermione doesn't have the strength to actually listen, and she's glad it seems that she isn't expected to.

"My apartment's just around the corner- I can make it from here"

"You sure? Ah, want to turn up alone, eh? Well, have a nice day then!"

Just around one more corner.

Just across one more street.

"Oy, Hermione, 's that you?" 

Home.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked it, let me know!


End file.
